Verification: The Future of Journalism

nt finding from studies on how Swedes access information about the war in Ukraine is the importance of verification.

Verification is how journalism can remain relevant in a media landscape largely driven by sharing what others post on social media, Gunnar Nygren explained at the network meeting.

Why is verification so vital for journalism? " 'Correct and comprehensive news reporting' is the first point in journalism's ethical guidelines. It is the pursuit of verification, as far as possible, that distinguishes journalism from other media content like entertainment, fiction, PR, and propaganda. Without this pursuit, journalism has no justification. In a media world where more and more is about PR and entertainment, the work of verification – checking if the story holds up, if the facts are correct – is the foundation of journalism. This is also the basis for the public's trust in major media outlets. To maintain this trust, more verification is absolutely necessary."

How can media outlets improve at verification? "It has always been a balancing act between being fast and checking facts. As the pace of the news flow accelerates, reactions must be more restrained, and more checks are required. Furthermore, newsrooms need greater knowledge of how to check, for example, images and videos; whether images depict what is claimed and if they were taken when stated. There are many methods to check the digital flow that newsrooms receive, for instance, from social media. The knowledge of how to check this, how to verify who or what is behind the sources, and so on, must increase."

SVT News is one organization that has begun investing in verification. Inspired by the BBC, among others, they recently launched a verification desk. Karin Ekman, Acting Program Director and Editor-in-Chief for National News, and Maria Lapenkova, a reporter, participated in the network meeting to discuss this new initiative.

The need for a dedicated verification desk emerged at SVT after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and was reinforced by the domestic gang conflicts and later the Israel-Hamas conflict. SVT's verification desk primarily works to verify video clips circulating on social media. This often involves international issues, but the desk also addresses more local matters, such as the fire at Oceana in Gothenburg.

Why are verification and the verification desk important for SVT? "We need to give our audience a greater understanding of what's happening, and we can do that through verification, among other things. We move from referencing what different parties claim to stating what actually happened. At the same time, we aim to explain our work processes to teach the audience how they can verify information themselves," says Maria Lapenkova, a reporter at the verification desk.

What competencies are needed to work with verification? "You should enjoy collecting and analyzing information, just as you do in investigative journalism. Being interested in technical solutions can also be an advantage, as you can use various software in verification."

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